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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23662720">Animal</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/RensSaxophone/pseuds/RensSaxophone'>RensSaxophone</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Uta no Prince-sama</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 09:07:47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,492</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23662720</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/RensSaxophone/pseuds/RensSaxophone</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Okay, there's a lot for this. </p><p>Lots of warnings - There's really severe injuries, and death, and just a pretty dark theme overall </p><p>the idea kind of came from the cool/pop animal collection and also from a really bizarre dream so the actual animal idea is kind of silly/dumb but then the rest of the story is way darker than i meant it to be so please be careful reading if that stuff bothers you</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ichinose Tokiya/Jinguuji Ren/Kurosaki Ranmaru</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Animal</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I wish I knew where he was.” Tokiya mumbles, resting against Ranmaru’s chest. He’s frowning. “I’m worried.” Tokiya’s ears flatten against his head. </p><p>His ears and tail were pitch black, and clearly canine. They were darker than Ranmaru’s- which were a deep brown, but much more feline. </p><p>They were talking about Ren. It had been over a day since he had contacted Tokiya <i>or</i> Ranmaru, and they were both worried. Tokiya may have been more obvious about it, but he knew that Ranmaru was just as worried as he was. </p><p>“He’ll come home.” Ranmaru reassures. “You know how he is.”</p><p>“He sure does like his trips.” Tokiya sighs. “But he usually reaches out to us when he’s gone this long.”</p><p>“It’s late. Just go to sleep, alright? If he’s still not back by morning, we’ll go look.”</p><p>“Alright.” Tokiya almost reluctantly relents. Ranmaru’s hand had been resting on Tokiya’s back, but it slides up into his hair. Ranmaru’s fingertips brush against the back of one of Tokiya’s flattened ears, rubbing against it lightly with his fingertips until it raises, no longer pressed to his head- and then he repeats the same with Tokiya’s other ear. Tokiya’s tail would give a weak thump. </p><p>Neither man was human. They were unable to hide the animal features in their human forms, but each had the capability to turn completely into their animal. Ren was like them, too, though he was a feline like Ranmaru. His fur was tan and spotted. </p><p>Tokiya <i>does</i> manage to fall asleep, but he’s woken up by commotion- both from beside him and from the doorway. He’d hear Ranmaru growl. It’s animalistic, but he’s not in his animal form- but his next noise would wake Tokiya up completely, because it’s almost a sharp yelp, and his next growl is already weaker. Tokiya looks at Ranmaru, who is in a crouched position but seems to be struggling to stay upright, and there’s a dart, sticking out of the front of his shoulder. Tokiya immediately gets defensive, pushing back the alarm and fear from the sight he had woken up to, but he’s barely begun his own low growl, aimed at the three men in the doorway. He’s cautious of the man with a gun- but all three of them have something worth watching out for. The man Tokiya is watching seems to have an actual gun, but another seems to have a tranquilizer gun, the one Tokiya assumes Ranmaru was shot with- and the last man has a metal bar. </p><p>Tokiya’s attention is lost when Ranmaru falls besides him, and the man with the bar takes the chance to rush forward. Tokiya manages to put his hands up just before he’s hit- the blow landing hard on the back of his forearms. The man remains, but he fakes a hit towards Ranmaru, and Tokiya falls for it, his arms lowering just in time for the man to switch directions, the blow landing on the side of Tokiya’s head. Tokiya drops with just that, letting out a weak whimper. The crunching sound that the hit made against the side of his head was enough to assure him that it was a serious hit, and the ceiling won’t stay still. The only sounds he’s capable of are whimpers, and he’s fallen back against Ranmaru. </p><p>“Careful with the cat- we’ll take the mutt with us, but he’s not the real money.” One of the men says. Ranmaru is hissing, but it’s a muted sound, as he’s not in control enough to be properly intimidating. It takes one person to carry Tokiya, but it takes two for Ranmaru. Even under the sedation, Ranmaru tries to fight when they pick up Tokiya. </p><p>“Jesus- we should’ve given him a bigger dose.” One of the men grumble. </p><p>They’d haul the two men outside, and they’d open the back of a large van. There are two cages in the back, both large but one significantly larger- and the smaller one is occupied. There’s a rattling, as the man inside throws himself towards the gate, and there’s a hiss- the kind of hiss that Ranmaru would be making if he could. </p><p>They’re much more careful with Ranmaru when they put him in the cage than they are with Tokiya. Ranmaru gets laid on the bottom of the cage, and Tokiya’s thrown a bit unceremoniously next to him, his entire body jolting with the pain when his head lands on the blanket covering the bottom of the cage.</p><p>“Tokiya.” </p><p>Through the haze of pain and oncoming unconsciousness, Tokiya can still hear the horror in Ren’s voice. He turns onto his side, though it’s a difficult thing to pull off, and he raises a heavy hand, his fingers lacing in the wire on the side of the cage. He can’t see Ren, between the dark from them closing the van’s doors and the difficulty to keep his eyes open, but he feels Ren’s fingers brushing his where Ren is reaching through his own cage. </p><p>Ranmaru is still making soft growling noises, but he seems to be incapable of moving. </p><p>Ren makes an aggravated noise, but the best he can do is to brush his fingertips against Tokiya’s fingers. His voice softens when he speaks. “Tokiya, baby, can you speak?” </p><p>Tokiya whimpers. </p><p>“They hit ‘im.” Ranmaru’s voice is slurred. It’s angry, but more than that it’s tired, and while his sentence may have been short, it seemed like it took a lot of effort. </p><p>“Did they hurt you, too, Ran?” Ren’s voice is dangerous. Tokiya rarely sees Ren angry, but it’s obvious that Ren is <i>livid</i>. </p><p>“Darted me.” Ranmaru’s voice has even less energy than it did before. Tokiya’s hand  falls, landing with a muted thud on the floor of the cage. It wasn’t cold, with the blanket lying on the floor of it, and there seemed to be some pillows towards the back. </p><p>“Toki?” Ren’s voice has turned almost scared. Tokiya gives a very soft whimper. He can’t bring himself to form words, and his tail is tucked, his ears flattened. He’s shaking, just a bit. Tokiya feels the van pull over, and the light is painful, even with his eyes closed, when the back opens. </p><p>“Get the two that’re out, first. They’ll be easiest.” </p><p>One of the men open the cage that Tokiya and Ranmaru were in, and they’d pull Ranmaru closer to the front of it, getting a hiss from the man. The dart still hasn’t worn off enough for him to properly struggle. They’d strip him down to his underwear and would then push him back in, before tugging Tokiya towards the end of the cage, too. With Tokiya, they’d force him out completely after they’d stripped him down, and Tokiya would squint his eyes open, but they’d open just a bit wider when he’d feel the cold barrel of a gun press to his temple. </p><p>“We’re gonna do the same thing to you, kitty, and if you try to pull <i>anything</i>, the mutt gets it.” One of the men approaches Ren’s cage. </p><p>Tokiya looks at Ren’s face, but Ren is focused on Tokiya. Tokiya thinks he can feel blood running down the side of his face. How hard had they hit him earlier? Tokiya looks around, but they don’t seem to be around anything. That’s probably why they stopped. Tokiya wasn’t sure why they were making them get undressed. </p><p>“I can do it myself.” Ren says coldly. He doesn’t seem happy, stripping himself down, but Tokiya can respect not wanting <i>them</i> to strip him down. They’d open the cage to take his clothes, and would close it again. </p><p>“We don’t need the dog. Why don’t we just leave him here?” One of the men complains. </p><p>“We need the big cats to act nice- and if that means keepin’ the dog with them, then we’re going to keep the dog with them.” Tokiya assumes that man was the leader, because after he speaks, Tokiya is pushed back in the cage. </p><p>They’re in the car for much longer this time. Tokiya goes in and out of consciousness, but he does eventually feel Ranmaru curl over him protectively. When the door opens again, Ranmaru’s hiss is as intimidating as it should be. Tokiya doesn’t need to open his eyes to see Ranmaru’s snarl, or how tense his body is, hovering over Tokiya. </p><p>There are more men now, to pick up the cages. It takes a few men to pick up Ranmaru and Tokiya’s cage. </p><p>It takes a few to pick up Ren’s, too. They’d drop the two cages in a room with a woman who would look over them. Tokiya opens his eyes, but everything still seems a bit blurry. He doesn’t feel like he’s capable of moving. The woman has a sharp face, with blonde hair and thick, black glasses, but there’s an excitement in her eyes while looking at the three men that Tokiya doesn’t like. </p><p>“Oh, look at them.” She’d coo. “I can’t imagine how pretty they’d be in their real forms.” She stops by Ren’s cage, bending over, looking at him. He meets her gaze with a steady glare. Normally Ren was the friendly one- but Tokiya imagines that kidnapping him and then hurting both Tokiya and Ranmaru might knock his friendliness level down a few pegs. “It’s hard to tell without actually seeing them- but I’m fairly certain that this one is a jaguar.” She’d make her way over to Ranmaru and Tokiya, “And this one is a bit harder, but my best guess is a panther.” Tokiya knew she was right about both. After all, he <i>had</i> seen them both in their true forms. “But the canine is a little trickier. I need to have a closer look.” </p><p>“Like hell you will.” Ranmaru snaps. </p><p>“Hmm… so protective. The bond of these two is fascinating.”</p><p>“It’s all three ‘a them.” The leader says. “The fellow in the cage got real mad when we brought these two in.”</p><p>“I wonder what these cats see in this dog. Well, no matter.” She makes her way towards the cage, and her voice softens. They were talking about them like the boys couldn’t understand them, but when she speaks, it really is as if she’s talking to a kitten. Soothing. They may have been animals- but it was still insulting. “I’m here to help. If you don’t let me see him, he could get worse. I need to take care of the damage to his head.” She’d glance up, and she’d sigh, her voice becoming sharper. “You really couldn’t have used another dart?”</p><p>“Didn’t want to waste it.” Another man, not the leader, says, defensively. Probably the man that had hit Tokiya. “He’s just a dog.”</p><p>Ranmaru hesitates, but he’d slowly and carefully move from Tokiya, just a bit. Just enough that he wasn’t hovering over him. “Can’t you just look from here?” Ranmaru’s voice is cold. </p><p>“I need to examine him.” Her voice is back to the baby-talk. It does nothing to comfort any of the caged men. “One of you, pull him out. And try not to make it any worse.” The tone is gone again, as she steps towards a table. Ranmaru is tensed, like a coil- and Tokiya isn’t entirely sure that he <i>won’t</i> pounce. Tokiya gets pulled out of the cage, and the cage is quickly closed. Both Ren and Ranmaru are very close to the doors of their cage. </p><p>“They’re all going to the same place. You may as well as move the jaguar to the larger cage. It should fit all three of them fine.” Maybe the woman was the leader, Tokiya thinks. </p><p>“We’ve got the dog over there. You make any move-”</p><p>“And he gets it.” Ren snaps. “You’ve been over this.”</p><p>The men unlock Ren’s cage, but refuse to open Ranmaru’s until he had moved back. When Ranmaru was further back, they’d let Ren out, and with a quick glance towards Tokiya, Ren would move directly into Ranmaru’s cage. Ren checks over Ranmaru, first and foremost, while they reclose the cage. The cage was easily big enough to fit at least four people comfortably- it wouldn’t be that difficult to put Tokiya back in it. </p><p>“I believe you were wrong. He is a canine, but I believe he’s some type of wolf.” The woman comments. Tokiya didn’t like the way she was touching his tail, but he was too tired to fight her. He was also too tired to correct her. He wasn’t a wolf. </p><p>She would work on making sure that his injury wouldn’t kill him. By the time that she was done, he was still sore, and in pain, but he wasn’t dying. That should count for something, he supposed. </p><p>He’s brought back to the cage, but the men won’t lift him up. He tries to crawl in, nearly toppling headfirst into the bottom of the cage, but Ren catches him, pulling him in the rest of the way. They close the door, nearly catching Tokiya’s foot. Tokiya wobbles, even on all fours, but Ren  moves him so that he’s resting between Ranmaru and Ren, on his back. Tokiya closes his eyes as they begin to move the cage. </p><p>“Least they’ll be good money.”</p><p>“Wonder if they’ll sell together?”</p><p>“Don’t think we can sell them separate. The cats are awfully moody.”</p><p>“But who’s going to buy two big cats and dog? Even if it’s a wolf- maybe we should just keep it.”</p><p>“You try telling that to the cats.” There’s a laugh with that. </p><p>And then the cage is back in the van and the doors have closed. It’s only a bit into driving that Tokiya suddenly feels like he’s freezing, his entire body beginning to shake. The only blanket in the cage is covering the metal floor, so that isn’t an option. </p><p>And then, Tokiya feels Ranmaru shift, and then it’s different. He feels a heavier weight against his side, and a heavy, sighing sound as the panther settles down, resting his large head on Tokiya’s chest. He’s half curled over Tokiya, soft and warm. Ren seems to take a hint from Ranmaru, and Tokiya can feel Ren as his own body changes, though the jaguar moves behind Tokiya. Tokiya is careful in lifting his head, lying it back down on the jaguar’s stomach. This was a position they had taken on more than one occasion- though it was usually used for comfort. Tokiya doesn’t feel comfortable or steady enough to change into his own animal form, so he simply stays human, among the large cats. </p><p>They drive for some time. Eventually, Tokiya gets tired of being unable to fully stretch out, and he finally takes his true form. </p><p>His was a bit strange. He was, technically, a dog, but he wasn’t a <i>normal</i> breed of dog.</p><p>Tokiya was a hellhound. </p><p>He had figured out exactly how he worked as he grew. </p><p>He wouldn’t hurt Ren or Ranmaru, so he wasn’t worried about being around them. But should he be hurt, wronged, or should he make the conscious decision to- he really could ruin someone’s life.</p><p>Or take it. </p><p>He found that the first step was that they’d begin to see things, and then the next step was usually death. Either by their own hands, someone else’s, or chance. Tokiya had never killed anyone directly, but sometimes it happened without the conscious decision to. </p><p>He did learn, however, that he could consciously make sure that he didn’t. And that there needed to be actual contact with him in his animal form before he could hurt anyone. Or call something to hurt them. That was the more likely scenario. </p><p>Mystical animals were much rarer, which really was saying something because having an animal form at all was rare.  </p><p>The other boy’s positions don’t change, and it isn’t difficult for Tokiya to continue to settle in easy with them again. </p><p>Tokiya must fall asleep, because he’s woken up to bright light and noise. </p><p>“What the fuck kinda dog is that?” It sounds like the man who had wanted to keep Tokiya- but Tokiya might be making his assumptions based off of the interest in the man’s voice as he asks the question. </p><p>“Doesn’t matter.” One of the other men says sharply. “We won’t have him long.”</p><p>“But how can we sell an animal that we don’t know the breed of?” The first challenges, almost smugly. </p><p>“If you want to reach your hand in and grab him, you go right ahead.”</p><p>“The auction’s not until way later! We could just dart them.” </p><p>The second man sighs, but the pause is concerning. Enough that Ranmaru notices, voicing his displeasure. His human growl had been intimidating, but in his animal form, it was terrifying. Tokiya feels a large paw move to rest on his side protectively, at the same time that he feels Ren curl around him. “Sure. But don’t hit the dog. He’s still injured and there’s no use in wasting a bullet.”</p><p>Tokiya feels a much heavier weight settle over him, and he opens his eyes to see Ranmaru. He’s holding himself up, just barely, but he’s entirely over Tokiya. Tokiya can see that his head is turned, and can only imagine that he’s snarling, from the noise that Ranmaru is making. </p><p>Tokiya curls up, making it easier for Ranmaru to cover him, and easier for Ren to hover above him as well. </p><p>Unfortunately, it doesn’t stop them. </p><p>Tokiya is torn. He doesn’t want to be in this situation at all, and he doesn’t want Ren and Ranmaru to be in it, either- of course, this had always been a concern. There were a quite a few animals that had human forms as well, and it was well known that they had a heavy price tag over their head. And with two big cats together? </p><p>And if it were found out exactly what Tokiya was… he’d be lucky if he wasn’t put down. But if he wasn’t, he was sure he’d go for quite a large amount, too. </p><p>But Tokiya doesn’t want to be drug out of the cage, or for Ren and Ranmaru to be tranqued. It was going to be harder to hit Ren because of where Ranmaru had settled himself- but Tokiya knew what would happen if the man tried to touch him. Tokiya was terrified- and he couldn’t honestly say that he didn’t want these men hurt. There’s no way he’d be able to stop himself. </p><p>Tokiya lets out a whimper, pressing his dry nose to Ren’s side, but then he shifts, crouching beneath Ranmaru. Ranmaru lowers himself further, to pin Tokiya, but Tokiya worms himself out from underneath Ranmaru, though he has to pass Ren to do it, and he’s still sluggish. </p><p>“Look, boss.” The second man sounds smug, but he’s also clearly loading the tranquilizer gun. “The puppy’s trying to come out to play.”</p><p>As Ranmaru turns, still trying to block both of them with his body, Tokiya tries to get past Ren, but Ren bites down gingerly on the scruff of Tokiya’s neck, keeping him from moving further. Ren’s paw moves to pin Tokiya down more firmly. </p><p>Ranmaru would have been able to, if he had expected Tokiya to try to leave. </p><p>Ren lets go of Tokiya’s neck when Tokiya is firmly tucked beneath Ren’s arm, pressed against his stomach. Tokiya immediately curls, to fit, letting out a short whine. Ranmaru settles himself in front of Ren and Tokiya. </p><p>Despite being the only canine of the relationship, Tokiya was <i>not</i> the Alpha. He’d still consider Ranmaru and Ren his back, but he knew he was the lowest on the leadership chain. </p><p>When he had first met them, he wasn’t alright with that. He had always been more of a lone wolf type of dog, so running with a pack at all- especially with two <i>cats</i> (both significantly bigger than him) wasn’t something he thought he’d like. </p><p>As he curled underneath Ren, terrified for both of the large cats’ safety, he wonders how he ever doubted that this could work. </p><p>Ranmaru gets hit first, the dart hitting his neck. He stays standing as long as he can, but it becomes too much quickly, and he slumps forward, with tired, subdued snarls. Tokiya tries to move, to wiggle out away from Ren before Ren is hit, too, but Ren keeps him pinned tightly to his side. </p><p>It takes some adjustment, but they do hit Ren. When Ren lying down, it becomes difficult to tell when he’s subdued. </p><p>Tokiya’s nose presses to Ren’s chest with a whimper. </p><p>“Here, doggy, doggy.” The man’s voice sounds taunting. He’s wearing two very thick gloves. Tokiya was sure that Ren or Ranmaru could bite through them, if they weren’t drugged. </p><p>This was Ranmaru’s second time. Tokiya felt horrible. </p><p>The man moves carefully past Ranmaru, but Ranmaru can’t even lift his head. He can only give a weak growl. </p><p>Tokiya knows that Ren’s feeling it, too, from the dart in his shoulder. Ren is limp over Tokiya, the only part of him moving was his chest and his eyes, but even his blinking was sluggish. </p><p>“I’ve always wanted a puppy.” Tokiya’s ears flatten to his head, cowering into Ren, when the man grins at him. Ren’s own growl sounds tired. Ren still tries to struggle when the man grabs Tokiya by the back of the neck, just a bit higher than the scruff- enough to hurt. Tokiya’s snarl and snap comes automatically, from the pain of being pulled, and while Ren is trying to move, he’s not getting far. Tokiya is pulled away from Ren, and the man retreats quickly, especially when Ranmaru manages to lift his head. </p><p>Tokiya is dropped outside. The man must really trust that Tokiya is either too injured to run, that his aim is that good, or that Tokiya wouldn’t leave the other two. </p><p>He’s right about the last one.</p><p>Tokiya cowers, his tail between his legs and his ears still pressed tightly to his head. His head is pounding and his neck is sore. </p><p>He watches the man close the cage. </p><p>“You’re a lot less scary away from the real beasts.” The man smirks, going so far as to crouch down. Tokiya doesn’t bow his head, but his shaking gives him away. He’s still in too much pain to force himself to be aggressive. He just feels scared. </p><p>The man takes off one of the gloves, but keeps one on. He grabs Tokiya by the back of the neck, and strokes him with the other hand- trying to keep himself safe. </p><p>The man is a bit rough with his petting, but Tokiya’s main problem with it is that the petting feels degrading. He wouldn’t dare pet Ren or Ranmaru.</p><p>And being treated like nothing but a pet was horrible. All three of them had thought patterns just like humans, despite their animal forms. </p><p>Hell, they were spoken down to when they were still in their mostly human forms. </p><p>“He’s gonna piss himself.” One of the other men laugh. “Look at the way he’s shaking. How’d he get in with these guys?” The man taps his hand against the cage with a sharp clang as he passes it to watch Tokiya. </p><p>“Probably just a domestic dog.” The man who had taken Tokiya out of the cage snorts. Tokiya notices Ranmaru, dragging himself closer to the door of the cage. “Do we really have to sell him? It’s not like the cats are kittens or some shit, right? No one in their right mind’s gonna walk into their cage to play with them.”</p><p>A roar sounds from the cage. It’s muted, but Tokiya also realizes, with some surprise, that it’s from Ren. </p><p>“If you’re really trying to keep him as a pet-” The other man speaks up. “He’s going to be useless without the cats. The problem with these kind of animals is that they’ll hold a grudge. The cats might not be the cuddling type, but that dog’s going to hate you, man.”</p><p>“Even if I feed it lots of treats?”</p><p>The other man snorts, shaking his head. “Just finish playing with him and get him back in the cage before the sedative wears off. If you want a dog, just go to a pet shop.”</p><p>Tokiya hates it. He hates the man touching him, petting through his fur. He hates the proximity of the man. </p><p>Ren has made his own way closer to the end of the cage. Tokiya can see their tails, puffed up and swaying. It’s a slow motion, as they’re both still heavily under the effect of the sedative, but he can sense their anger. Ren looks even puffier than Ranmaru. </p><p>When the man is finally contented, he lifts Tokiya again by the neck, and Tokiya yelps when he’s grabbed wrong <i>again</i>. Ranmaru’s grumbling noise is just a bit more aware. </p><p>“You two need to find your way back.” The man’s eyes narrow at the cage. “Or I’ll put him in the other cage.”</p><p>There’s more heavy noises, but they slowly make their way further back, neither of them seeming happy about it. It’s clearly a struggle to get their bodies to move enough, but Tokiya is in clear discomfort from the way he’s being raised. </p><p>When they’re far enough back, the man opens the cage and tosses Tokiya into it. Tokiya isn’t a small dog, but he isn’t giant, either. His paws scramble to gain purchase, but in the end, he can’t, and he ends up falling over, into Ranmaru. </p><p>It takes a second for Ranmaru’s paws to wrap over him, holding Tokiya closer. </p><p>The van doors close, and they continue on their trip. To wherever they’re being brought. When the tranqs wear off, Tokiya can tell, because Ranmaru shifts with a ‘hmph’, and Tokiya feels him brush his cheek over Tokiya’s shoulder. </p><p>Despite everything, Tokiya’s tail gives two, half hearted thumps. </p><p>Tokiya liked when they did domestic cat things. He knew Ranmaru was remarking Tokiya with his scent. It was the type of behavior commonly found in house cats, but when they weren’t in such a serious situation, Ranmaru <i>and</i> Ren acted very domestically. </p><p>Tokiya just lays in between them, until they’ve both regained movement. When they have, they all move further back into the cage. Tokiya curls in between them, with Ren and Ranmaru wrapped around him, their backs to the front of the cage. </p><p>The next time they stop, the cage is removed. Tokiya doesn’t even bother to open his eyes, and he can tell that Ren doesn’t shift at all. Unsurprisingly, Ranmaru’s head lifts, to watch what’s happening. </p><p>Tokiya almost wanted to get out of his animal form- to <i>talk</i> to them. But he wouldn’t. Not yet.</p><p>Tokiya presses his dry nose to Ren’s side, and Ren finally shifts, pressing his own nose against Tokiya’s. Ren’s nose is dry as well- though that’s normal for him. Tokiya can tell that Ren is concerned with how dry Tokiya’s own nose is. </p><p>Tokiya holds the position for a moment before he shifts, to curl into Ren’s side. He knows that as soon as the cage is set down and it’s safe to walk around, Ranmaru is going to. Tokiya also knows that Ren isn’t going to leave Tokiya’s side, and he’s not going to let Tokiya leave his.</p><p>Tokiya is proven right, when they set the cage down on a stage, because Ranmaru immediately starts pacing around the edges. When people begin to enter the room they’ve been set in, Ranmaru sits himself in front of Ren and Tokiya. Ren is too large for even Ranmaru to properly hide, but he does his best. Between Ren and Ranmaru, Tokiya doesn’t think he can be seen. </p><p>The auction starts not long after, and their cage is surrounded by people, looking. </p><p>“Is that a dog?” Ranmaru was trying his best to block Ren and Ranmaru, but the cage was surrounded on all sides. “Nice.” The man speaking snickers. “The first meal is on them, I guess.” Ranmaru turns his attention towards the man, growling, and he swipes through the bars. The man steps back in time. </p><p>Tokiya’s eyes move to the corner of the stage where one of the handlers that brought them stands. It’s the man that tried to keep Tokiya. </p><p>He’s pale, and his eyes are glancing around. Ren’s head lifts with Tokiya’s, to look in the same direction, and then he turns to look at Tokiya. Tokiya’s ears flatten against his head, but they perk up in surprise when he feels Ren’s sandpaper tongue on the top of his head, before Ren nuzzles against Tokiya. </p><p>Trying to reassure him. </p><p>Ren knew how Tokiya felt, about the consequences of Tokiya’s breed. </p><p>Ranmaru knew, too, but Tokiya knew that Ranmaru didn’t, at all, feel the same as Tokiya did about it. Ranmaru felt that if someone hurt Tokiya, especially in his animal form, that they deserved what was coming to them. Ren liked to assure Tokiya that it wasn’t his fault. Tokiya had admitted that he often didn’t mean to hurt the people he did. Ranmaru was much more adamant about Tokiya not feeling guilty. </p><p>They do get bought, for quite a lot of money. </p><p>It makes sense, as much as Tokiya hates to admit it. He cost nearly nothing- a mere freebie for the majestic cats. But to have a jaguar and a panther that got along so well that they had to be sold in a pair wasn’t something you often saw. </p><p>Ranmaru doesn’t settle down until they’re being transported again. When they’re in the back of a hooded truck, too dark to even see each other, Tokiya’s paw brushes against skin. </p><p>He waits for Ren’s form to change, before Tokiya does as well. </p><p>For a long moment, they’re quiet. </p><p>“Tokiya.” Ranmaru’s voice is grim. “Are you alright?”</p><p>“My head hurts. And I feel gross. And I killed that man.”</p><p>Ren’s arms tighten around Tokiya. They were still lying on the floor of the cage, Tokiya pressed against Ren. He feels much less dwarfed by Ren when Ren wasn’t in his animal form. Tokiya wasn’t sure if that was or wasn’t better right now. </p><p>“That’s not your fault.” Ranmaru’s tone has turned flat, but there’s an underlying anger there, too. “Ya got two big cats and an unidentified dog. Fuckin’ askin’ for trouble, treatin’ you like a lapdog.”</p><p>“You were scared, and they hurt you.” Ren’s voice is gentle. “It’s not your fault.”</p><p>Tokiya turns, to press himself tighter to Ren’s chest. Ranmaru moves, still sitting up, but close enough to run his hand through Tokiya’s hair. </p><p>“Is this it?” Tokiya’s voice breaks. “Are we just… pets?”</p><p>“We’re gonna get out of this, Toki. I’ll figure out a way ‘t get us outta here.”</p><p>Tokiya quiets down, and with Ren’s arms wrapped around him and Ranmaru’s hand petting through his hair, he nearly falls asleep. </p><p>“Toki-” Ren’s voice is gentle. “It’s alright to fall asleep, but you should turn back, baby.”</p><p>It takes more effort to turn than Tokiya expects it to, but a large part of it is because he doesn’t want to lose the feeling of Ren’s arms around him. When Tokiya finally does turn, he curls against Ren’s chest, and Ren’s hand pets through the fur on his back. Ranmaru’s hand continues to pet Tokiya’s head, and between both of them, it’s difficult to stay awake.</p><p>When Tokiya does awaken, it’s incredibly unpleasant. There’s a rope around his neck- a catchpole, and he’s yanked forcefully out of the cage, letting out a startled yelp as he is. Before Ranmaru, back in his cat form, can make it to the door, it’s already closed with Tokiya outside of it. Ranmaru bats at the cage door with a paw, making the cage creak, and he’s snarling. Ren is only a pace behind Ranmaru, his own lips pulled back. </p><p>They’re pissed. </p><p>The man ignores them, pulling Tokiya with him into a different room, pulling Tokiya further despite Tokiya’s struggles. Tokiya can still hear the cage clanging. </p><p>“They don’t need a dog in their habitat.” Tokiya isn’t sure if the man is talking to him. “I’ve got a pack in another room. You’re no alpha competition, so if they get over how bad you reek of cat, I’m sure you’ll be fine.”</p><p>So he is talking to Tokiya. Tokiya whimpers, trying to turn back, to go back to Ren and Ranmaru. The man just pulls him along. The catchpole is finally released when Tokiya is forced into a room with multiple other dogs. </p><p>Tokiya can tell almost immediately that most of them are normal dogs. There does seem to be one that’s like him- with the ability to have a human form, but it’s clear that it isn’t often used. If Tokiya stays in his animal form for too long, he begins to feel almost feral. He can’t imagine how this man must feel. </p><p>Tokiya cowers against the door, surrounded by aggressive dogs, and he tries to remember how to best be submissive. He lower his body, keeping his head almost pressed to the floor. One of the dogs is clearly the alpha, and Tokiya makes sure that he doesn’t make eye contact. </p><p>For a long moment, no one moves. And then- the leader of the pack lunges. Tokiya tries to dodge, but he’s entirely surrounded and pressed against the door with nowhere to go, and the dog manages to sink his teeth into Tokiya’s neck. Tokiya’s pained howl is loud, and when he swipes at the dog to force him to release Tokiya, his claws dig into the dog’s face. </p><p>Seeing the leader attacked, other dogs jump in, and one gets a good grip on his leg, pulling and tearing with his teeth. Tokiya’s next howl sounds almost pathetic. </p><p>The door opens, as the man tries to check on what’s happening, and Tokiya books it, blood trailing behind him. Even keeping pressure off of his injured back leg, he’s fast. He slams into the cage headfirst, losing his balance, but he scrambles up as the man chases after him, running to the other side of the cage. </p><p>Ren and Ranmaru decide on and take their positions quickly. Ren follows him along the cage, his nose pressed against the metal, and Ranmaru follows the man, swiping and biting and roaring, trying to keep the man back. The cage rattles every time Ranmaru throws himself at it, trying to keep the man away from Tokiya. Tokiya is pressed against the cage, only moving to put distance between himself and the man.</p><p>Finally, the man relents, looking angry. He’d clearly rather have Tokiya stuck in an area, as opposed to running around his house, and he looks at Ranmaru, the one following him, with a frustrated expression. “If you stay in your cage- I’ll open it.”</p><p>Ranmaru takes a step back, still watching the man. The growls haven’t stopped. He takes one more step back when the man moves to actually open the gate, and then he steps back. Tokiya watches him carefully, his limp much more obvious now that the adrenaline was starting to die down. He slowly makes his way near the cage door, and when he’s close enough, he makes a dash inside. The man is quick to close the door behind Tokiya. Ren immediately goes to Tokiya, nudging him with his nose until Tokiya lies down, flat on his uninjured side. He had a nasty mark in his neck, and his leg was really messed up. Tokiya lets out a whimper, and Ren settles down, laying his large head on Tokiya’s stomach. </p><p>Ren lets out a purr, but it isn’t the normal type of content purr Tokiya is used to. He thinks it’s meant to reassure Tokiya, but it seems upset and anxious. The man is watching them, with an interested expression on his face, but Ranmaru notices and moves to set himself in front of Tokiya, to block the man’s view. He continues moving around the cage as the man does, no longer striking out, but his warning growls haven’t stopped.</p><p>Tokiya shifts, his leg moving with it, and he lets out a yelp, almost more like a whine, and Ren answers it with a soft mewl. Ranmaru pauses his pacing, moving behind Tokiya, finally settling down, his back pressed against Tokiya’s. The man stays for some time, watching the three. </p><p>When night falls and they’re left alone, both Ren and Ranmaru change to their human form, and Tokiya sees immediately that Ren’s eyes are shiny with tears. Tokiya lets out a quiet whine, and Ren carefully pets through the fur on his side. “I’m so sorry, baby.” </p><p>Tokiya shifts, with the intention to change, but Ranmaru’s hand settles on his back. “Don’t. If you change it’s just gonna be harder on your body. Ren, ‘m gonna rip up part ‘a the blanket ‘t try to make a bandage.”</p><p>Ren nods, clearly unwilling to leave Tokiya’s side, his fingers still petting through Tokiya’s fur. Ranmaru moves to the corner of the cage, folding part of it back before returning to his animal form, to rip it apart. It’s more difficult to rip it into strips with teeth and claws, but it was all that they had. Ranmaru is back in his human form when he turns to take the cloth back with him. </p><p>Ranmaru’s jaw tightens as he examines Tokiya’s injuries. Dried blood coated his fur, but Tokiya only knew that it <i>hurt</i>. “Fuck.” Ranmaru’s curse is quiet when he looks near Tokiya’s leg. He puts his hand on Tokiya’s side, near Ren’s. “‘M sorry, Toki, but I don’t think this is ever gonna heal right.”</p><p>“What?” Ren’s voice is soft, trying to hide the fear in it for Tokiya’s sake, but he leans over to look at Tokiya’s leg. Tokiya sees Ren cover his mouth with the hand that isn’t on Tokiya, and Tokiya tries to lift his head, though he can’t help the soft whimper at the pain in his neck, and Ren immediately moves to try to get Tokiya to set his head back down. </p><p>There is a chunk missing from Tokiya’s leg. Ranmaru sets to doing what he can for it, but with only the strips of blanket, it really isn’t much. Tokiya’s neck wound isn’t nearly as deep, luckily, but Ranmaru still does his best to bandage it.</p><p>Ranmaru goes back to his animal form before Ren. Ren stays in his human form, giving hushed reassurances at every pained whimper Tokiya makes until Tokiya falls asleep, Ranmaru pressed against his back. </p><p>The next day is mostly spent sleeping, for Tokiya, and watching over Tokiya, for Ranmaru and Ren. They refuse to sleep at the same time, after Tokiya had gotten taken from the cage. Ranmaru could have settled for lying on Tokiya, but he didn’t want to do that while Tokiya was hurt.</p><p>Ranmaru watches the man open the cage, and toss in some medical supplies. A splint, some bandages, some antiseptic. Ranmaru’s eyes narrow, getting into a protective stance over Tokiya. </p><p>Later that night, Ranmaru and Ren speak. </p><p>“It’s obviously a trap.” Ranmaru grunts. “But the blankets aren’t gonna cut it. I don’t think we’ve got a choice.”</p><p>“You’re right.” Ren’s voice is quiet. His hand is still resting on Tokiya’s stomach. Earlier, when they had gotten food, Ren had tried to get Tokiya to eat, but Tokiya still couldn’t lift his head. In the end, neither of them ended up eating. Ren had been too concerned, and Tokiya had been in too much pain. Ren spent most of the day with his head laying on Tokiya’s side. “It’s not perfect, but his wounds are going to get infected at this rate. We can’t lose him, Ran.”</p><p>“I know.” Ranmaru’s voice is grim, but he takes the medical supplies. He takes longer, cleaning Tokiya’s wounds and properly bandaging them. He doesn’t use the splint, because he doesn’t think he needs it. Tokiya’s leg is fucked, but it isn’t broken. It likely needs stitches, but even if Ranmaru had them, he wasn’t quite sure <i>how</i> to stitch it. He takes much more time on Tokiya’s leg than he has to on Tokiya’s neck.</p><p>“You’re going to be okay, baby.” Ren coos, petting Tokiya’s side. He had been reassuring Tokiya the entire time Ranmaru had been bandaging him up. </p><p>Tokiya lets out a quiet whine.</p><p>The next morning, the man comes back. “I knew it.” He mutters to himself, looking at Tokiya and his fresh bandages. “No wonder you big guys won’t leave the dog alone. I’ve got half a mind to sell the lot of you again. I could get a lot of money for chimeras like you.” He pats the cage. “But I’ve already got a habitat set up and I wouldn’t come up enough to cover that <i>and</i> you.”</p><p>It’s only later that day when a group of people come to lift the cage, into what looks like an indoor zoo exhibit. It pisses Ranmaru off when he sees it, and his growl of displeasure is loud. No one addresses it. </p><p>They drop the cage into the exhibit- which seems like an open faced forest, mixed with a domestic cat play place. Ranmaru can see that the men moving them have some type of electric prod- which may have been the only thing keeping Ranmaru from attacking, and it was less for himself and more for Ren, and especially Tokiya. Tokiya was significantly smaller than Ren or Ranmaru, and Ranmaru was worried that a hit from that could seriously injure Tokiya, worse than he was already injured. They lower the cage and open it. </p><p>One of the movers hits the back of the cage, trying to scare them out, and it makes Ranmaru hiss. Ranmaru leaves the cage, but he stops near the entrance of it, keeping the keepers away from Ren and Tokiya. Ren nudges Tokiya’s stomach, giving a soft mewl, and Tokiya opens his eyes, struggling to even drag himself out of the cage. He manages it, though barely, lying back down as soon as he’s out of the cage. Ren doesn’t go further than Tokiya, forcing the movers to drag the cage backwards to take it out. </p><p>Ranmaru and Ren curl up against Tokiya, hiding him from sight. </p><p>That night, Ren hovers over Tokiya, genuine fear on his face. “Toki, baby, you need to eat something. I know you don’t feel good, but you’re not going to feel better if you aren’t eating or drinking. Your body needs energy to try to heal itself.”</p><p>“He’s right, Toki.” Ranmaru’s hand is petting through the fur on Tokiya’s head, gently rubbing behind his ears. Tokiya had been sleeping a lot- and with the recommendation to stay in his animal form, he wasn’t able to properly communicate with them. His response is a soft whimper.</p><p>Ren’s fingers brush over Tokiya’s nose, and it’s dry and cracked. “If I can’t make you eat, I <i>am</i> going to make you drink, Toki. You’re dehydrated.”</p><p>“Can y’walk?” Ranmaru pauses, but Tokiya doesn’t respond. He doesn’t try to stand, either. “You’re gonna have to sit, at least. We can move you there, but you’ve gotta drink, babe.”</p><p>Tokiya manages a half hearted huff, and he hears Ren sigh, though he thinks there’s some relief in hearing Tokiya respond. Tokiya manages to sit up, but it’s stiff, and it’s painful to move. After only a second, he feels a strong pressure against his side, and realizes that Ranmaru is back in his animal form, supporting Tokiya. It’s difficult to make his way to the water on three legs, but he makes it. The best that he can manage is to plop down heavily, his injured leg stretched out beside him. He almost has to rest his head on the ground near the water as he drinks, but he manages to at least drink a little. Ranmaru’s snout is pressed to his side, and he can feel two pairs of eyes on him as he drinks. He settles his head down on the ground, closing his eyes. They don’t move him. </p><p>It’s only a day later when a woman enters the exhibit. Both Ren and Ranmaru rise up, guarding Tokiya. The woman lifts her hands, but two men follow her in, keeping further back. </p><p>“I’m here to help your injured friend.” The woman’s voice is soft. “I’m a vet. I want to help him, but I need you to move away from him.”</p><p>Tokiya and Ranmaru look at each other, and Ren is the first one, to very slowly back away from Tokiya. His eyes flicker between the woman and Tokiya. Ranmaru takes longer, letting out a low growl but backing away as well. She nods to the men, and they approach Tokiya to lift him. Ren’s ears are flat to his head, and Ranmaru seems tensed, as if he was about to pounce, but he stays still. </p><p>They leave with Tokiya. </p><p>It takes over a day for Tokiya to return. Ranmaru and Ren had spent the day hiding in what little foliage there was that could almost completely cover them. That night, they had just stayed in their animal forms, resting against each other. </p><p>But when the door opens again, they’re quick to leave the cover. Ranmaru slinks, walking sideways, but Ren just moves directly towards the door. There’s a man, carrying Tokiya. Tokiya’s neck had been shaved, the bandages applied directly to his skin. They weren’t able to get a good look at his leg with the way he was carried in, but one look at Tokiya’s face made it clear that he was under some heavy painkiller or sedation. When the man sets Tokiya down and retreats out of the door, Tokiya sways. He tries to step forward, but loses his balance, and he’s quickly covered by Ren and Ranmaru surrounding him. </p><p>Tokiya’s lower leg had been amputated. They hadn’t been able to save it from the injury. Ren lets out a mewl. A sad sound. </p><p>Tokiya tries to lie down on the ground, but Ranmaru nudges him back up, Ren sticking close to his other side, keeping him from tilting too far to either side, and they lead him to the foliage area they had found. They let Tokiya lie down when he’s hidden. </p><p>He sleeps well into the night, but when he wakes up, he almost immediately went into his human form, pulling his sore leg closer to his chest. </p><p>Most of the injuries translated the way they seemed like they would. His throat was torn up pretty badly,  but it was stitched and bandaged. He seemed to be missing more of his leg in his animal form than he did in his human form- because he had everything above the ankle. </p><p>He hadn’t realized just how terrible his injury really was. </p><p>Even in the habitat they had gotten into the habit of sleeping in shifts, and Ren had been the one awake tonight. Tokiya hadn’t even realized, until Ren wraps Tokiya up in his arms, burying his head into Tokiya’s shoulder. One of Tokiya’s hands lift, to squeeze Ren’s arm. </p><p>“We’re leaving soon.” Ren’s voice is serious. Dark. “I promise, baby. We’re going to figure out how to leave.”</p><p>“Will I even be able to?” Tokiya mumbles. “I can’t run, in any of my forms.”</p><p>“We’ll get you out, Toki. Even if I need to carry you.” Ren’s hand lifts, to run his thumb across Tokiya’s cheek. “Do you think you could eat?”</p><p>Tokiya gives a tired smile. Normally, he’d push it off until later, but he can see just how worried Ren is. Tokiya isn’t sure if the concern is really over the food, but that’s how he’s conveying it, and Tokiya doesn’t want to just deny his concern. So he kisses Ren’s forehead. “If you really want to see me eat something, I think I can.”</p><p>“It’s all meat, baby, you’re going to want to turn back. I’ll bring it here, alright?”</p><p>Tokiya makes an agreeing noise, not yet able to nod. As Ren turns into his own animal form, Tokiya turns into his own. He pulls himself forward, to nuzzle into Ranmaru, and one of Ranmaru’s large paws lift, to pull Tokiya closer, and Tokiya curls in, to fit tighter next to Ranmaru. Ranmaru hasn’t woken up, most of his reactions seem to be unconscious. Ren comes back, dropping the meat he had been carrying in his mouth near Tokiya, settling down in front of it. The huff he lets out as he settles sounds almost amused. </p><p>Tokiya squirms, turning in Ranmaru’s grip, but Ranmaru merely makes a ‘hmph’ type of grunt as his paws flex, only trapping Tokiya further in his furry hug. </p><p>Ren lays his head on his paws, and Tokiya stops trying to escape Ranmaru’s grip, noticing that Ren doesn’t really seem to expect Tokiya to be able to leave. </p><p>Until Ranmaru’s nose twitches and he yawns, sitting up, one paw still over Tokiya, but his eyes settle first on the meat. Ren’s head lifts, and there almost seems to be a challenge between them before Ranmaru looks down at Tokiya, retracting his paw and moving to nudge Tokiya with his nose gently. Tokiya pulls away, though he hears a deep, grumbling noise as Ranmaru gets up. Tokiya chooses to pull himself, rather than to limp, but he pushes himself up to eat. </p><p>He picks at it, but he does end up eating some of what Ren had given him. He hears Ranmaru settle behind him, and when Tokiya turns to look, Ranmaru had grabbed his own portion of meat and had sat himself down to eat it. </p><p>Tokiya had technically finished twice. The first time, he really hadn’t eaten much, but had tried to drop it in front of Ren, who just nudges it back towards Tokiya. Tokiya turns to try to pawn it off on Ranmaru, who ends up pushing back more than Tokiya had tried to give him. </p><p>Tokiya huffs, settling back down. He’s eaten a bit more the second time he finishes, and then they let him be finished. Ranmaru finishes his, and when he’s sure Tokiya’s done, he moves, to go sit in front of Tokiya’s leftovers, but then Tokiya nudges him away, pushing them towards Ren. </p><p>Ranmaru’s overdramatic ‘hmph’ seems to amuse Ren, who walks over and pushes it back towards Ranmaru, but then goes to nuzzle into Tokiya’s side. Tokiya lets out a bark that almost sounds like a laugh. Ranmaru busies himself with the meat while Ren cuddles into Tokiya’s side. </p><p>The next day, Ren and Ranmaru do some exploring. Usually one of them sticks with Tokiya, who couldn’t climb the way that they could with four good legs, let alone three. Ranmaru comes back, looking aggravated, but they have to wait until night falls to ask about it. </p><p>“He’s got people comin’ in ‘t look at us. I really think he only got Toki help ‘t get us to be more active. Fuckin’ hate being made a spectacle of.”</p><p>“Not much longer, Ran. We’ll figure it out.” Ren reaches out, to rub Ranmaru’s arm. </p><p>Tokiya wasn’t in this conversation. He wasn’t asleep, but he was pretending to be, curled up into a tight ball. </p><p>“Will we? Fuck, Ren, he <i>knows</i> about us. He’s not gonna make it easy because he fuckin’ knows we aren’t just normal animals.” Ranmaru rubs his face, and as Ren gets quiet, Tokiya feels Ren stroke Tokiya’s back softly. </p><p>“We can’t give up.” Ren’s voice is too grim for what he’s saying. “...I have an idea. It’s not a good one, and it’s not going to be fair-” Tokiya thinks Ren is looking at him. </p><p>“A bad plan’s better ‘n no plan.”</p><p>“We could fake a death.” Ren’s voice is soft. “Get someone in here- hopefully <i>him</i>. We could get Tokiya to touch him.”</p><p>“Or we could maul ‘im.” Ranmaru says dryly. </p><p>“That is an option.” Tokiya was waiting for the ‘but’. </p><p>It never came. </p><p>They get quiet when Tokiya’s ears flatten against his head, and Ren’s hand moves to Tokiya’s head. His voice is soft again. “I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t know you were awake.”</p><p>Tokiya sits up, but he doesn’t bother switching to his human form. He isn’t really sure that he wants to. He blinks slowly, but Ranmaru and Ren are both looking at him. Ren sighs, rubbing behind Tokiya’s ears. “We aren’t going to make you do anything you don’t want to.”</p><p>Tokiya lets out a low whine, his ears lowering, and only a few seconds later, he’s reluctantly returned to his human form. “I shouldn’t sit out of this conversation.” </p><p>“You’ve been through enough shit for a lifetime, Toki.” Ranmaru sighs. “We can handle it this time.”</p><p>“I… I’d much rather touch them.” Tokiya says firmly. “I don’t want either of you to… to <i>maul</i> them. I know what that’s like.” Tokiya pulls his injured leg closer to him, a dark look crossing his face. “I’m not saying that it’s humane, the way it happens if I do it- but neither of you need to get blood on your hands. And selfishly, I don’t want to see either of you resort to that.”</p><p>Ren’s hand moves to cradle Tokiya’s cheek. “Then we won’t. If we need to figure out a plan that doesn’t involve any killing, we can figure out a way, Toki.”</p><p>Tokiya frowns. “If… if we have a plan, we should go with it.” Tokiya’s eyes close. “And it isn’t as if I’m not used to being a hellhound. Death comes with the territory.”</p><p>Ren sighs, and he pulls Tokiya closer. Ranmaru is the one that speaks up. “When you’re wronged. Ya forget that part a lot, Toki. Because what about that vet?”</p><p>“She’s still alive.” Tokiya mumbles. </p><p>“Exactly. Y’don’t hurt anyone that didn’t ask for it. And this guy did.”</p><p>Tokiya nods, but he falls silent. </p><p>“If we’re going to do this, we should talk about how.”  Ren’s eyebrows draw in. </p><p>“Think I should play dead.” Ranmaru says, almost immediately. “I’ve been the most aggressive so far. Only way he’d get near <i>me</i> is if he thinks ‘m dead. And I like the idea ‘a havin’ an upper hand.”</p><p>Ren nods. “Then Toki and I will sell the part.” Ren squeezes Tokiya. “We should get some rest.”</p><p>“You two go ahead first.” Ranmaru sits back, getting comfortable. “With any luck, we’ll be outta here tomorrow.”</p><p>Tokiya doesn’t rest well, even curled up under Ren. Tomorrow comes far too quickly. Tokiya limps, pacing, as Ranmaru takes his spot. He knows it’s fake, but it feels real. Ranmaru lays down in a darker area of the cage, to hide his breathing, and to make it harder to see that his eyes are open, just a bit. Enough to make sure that it doesn’t go wrong. </p><p>Ren waits, just out of sight. Like Ranmaru, it’s just in case things go wrong. </p><p>It’s mostly up to Tokiya to sell this. </p><p>Tokiya moves to Ranmaru, and sets his front paws on his back, and he <i>howls</i>. </p><p>In Ren’s opinion, it’s worse than the muffled howls he and Ranmaru had heard from the closed door. Worse than the whimpers from when Tokiya was in so much pain he couldn’t move. It was a noise that made it difficult for Ren to stay back and for Ranmaru to stay still. </p><p>The second isn’t any better, especially not when it cuts off abruptly. When the man opens the door to the room, Tokiya has leaned down to nose desperately at Ranmaru’s back, yipping and whining. He lets out another howl as the man goes forward. </p><p>“Shit-” The man moves forward, alarmed at the collapsed cat- for monetary reasons, Tokiya is sure, but he’s concerned nonetheless. It’s over as soon as the man grabs Tokiya by the scruff of the neck. </p><p>There are multiple factors that make this as bad as it was. </p><p>The first was the wound, and lack of fur on Tokiya’s neck. The pain, mixed with the feelings of Ranmaru’s “death” (real or not), makes Tokiya lash out, his teeth sinking into the man’s wrist as the man nearly throws Tokiya off of Ranmaru. The added pain of landing on his back leg, and of that leg giving out on him, knocking him down, makes it worse. </p><p>And then it gets even worse, when the man lashes out- and Tokiya and Ranmaru’s ‘death’, by striking Ranmaru’s body with his foot.</p><p>The last thing that leads to the horrible ending this man is about to receive is because Tokiya had never purposefully <i>wanted</i> to kill someone before. He had never actually made the conscious decision. </p><p>It goes much, much quicker, when he decides it’s what he wants to do. </p><p>With the man’s blood in his mouth, and a fire like anger flooding Tokiya’s body, he can <i>see</i> what he’s showing the man. </p><p>The man no longer sees himself in the cage- rather surrounded by hounds, all identical to Tokiya. </p><p>Tokiya can feel the man’s throat give out beneath his jaws. He goes for other areas, his anger and drive fueling him to rip this man apart. </p><p>And then he feels something drive into his side, knocking him away from the man. He loses his balance, falling down onto the floor of the enclosure, the anger slowly leaving his body. He tries to look, to see the damage- almost disbelieving. </p><p>He must have been imagining it- right? Tokiya actually feels sick, because when he had been shoved from the body, he had taken some of it with him. </p><p>His entire body heaves as he throws up. He sees Ranmaru, sitting in front of him. Ranmaru must have stopped him. </p><p>When Tokiya finishes throwing up, he moves back, moving into his human form. He didn’t want to be in his animal form right now. </p><p>Tokiya sees Ren, only a few paces behind Ranmaru. When they both match Tokiya’s form, he can truly take in their expressions. </p><p>Ranmaru is surprised, and Ren looks… sad. </p><p>Tokiya covers his face with his hands. He can’t look at the body. He can’t look at what he did.</p><p>“We need ‘t get out of here, now.” Ranmaru stands, moving towards Tokiya. Tokiya doesn’t fight him when Ranmaru picks him up. “We can talk later.”</p><p>“It’s not your fault.” Ren’s voice shakes, but Tokiya doesn’t think he’s lying. “Ran is right, but I want you to know that, Toki.”</p><p>Tokiya doesn’t say anything. Ranmaru cradles him- proving that he’s not angry, but Tokiya wonders if he should be. Tokiya was sure that any deaths that he had caused anyone else weren’t pleasant- but hadn’t Tokiya <i>asked</i> them not to maul the man? In the end, Tokiya had. </p><p>Ren breaks off to find the three men clothes. Ranmaru and Tokiya both get hoodies, and Ren uses a cap to hide their ears. Ranmaru and Ren tuck their tails into their jeans, but Tokiya chooses to tuck his into the back of his hoodie. They leave quickly after, taking one of the man’s cars. They’d ditch it before they got near their home and they’d find a different way back, to make sure no one would track them. </p><p>They would also be changing houses soon. </p><p>But that night, they would return to it. Tokiya was exhausted, because of course he couldn’t be carried <i>everywhere</i>. He did have to travel some distance on his leg, heavily supported by both Ren and Ranmaru, but he couldn’t make Ranmaru carry him on his back the entire ten miles they had walked that day. Although even with his insistence, he still walked less than two of those miles. </p><p>“Do we need to talk about this in the morning or right now, Toki?” Ren’s question is gentle. </p><p>“Lemme get this straight right now, too.” Ranmaru adds gruffly. “We’re talkin’ about this because it’s obviously botherin’ you. Don’t feel like you need ‘t explain yourself to us, and don’t feel like we’re mad or judgin’ you.”</p><p>“Toki, if you hadn’t reacted, I think I would have.” Ren admits quietly. “Ran is completely right.”</p><p>Tokiya gets quiet for a very long moment. “I lost myself. I’ve… never been that angry in my life. I’ve barely accepted that I <i>do</i> kill people- but to kill him directly? I…” Tokiya breaks down into sobs. He tries to hide his face, but both Ren and Ranmaru react before he can. Ranmaru pulls Tokiya into his chest, and Ren leans against Tokiya’s side. “I didn’t want to be hurt anymore. I didn’t want either of you hurt- he hurt Ran and-” Tokiya has to pause, trying to catch his breath between sobs. “I just wanted to go home. I know it was fake but it felt too real, and then he grabbed me and-” He takes even longer to calm down this time, until he’s only hiccuping and not sobbing. “I was scared, and I was angry. And I told you both I didn’t want you killing him and then I did…”</p><p>When Tokiya stays quiet for longer this time, Ren finally speaks up. “It was a horrible situation, baby. Especially for you. You snapped, and I can’t blame you. But we’re home, and we’re going to stay safe. We made it through things we should have never had to deal with, but we’re never going to let it happen again, Toki.”</p><p>“I’m sure you’re sick of us being in our animal forms.” Tokiya’s voice is weak, and tired. “But I’d like to sleep in them tonight.” </p><p>“Of course.” Ren presses a kiss to Tokiya’s shoulder. The first thing they had done when they had gotten home was to get in their own clothes- to some extent. Tokiya was wearing Ranmaru’s sweater, and Ren was in a pair of Ranmaru’s sweatpants. But it was nice- to be clothed, and in clothes of their own. </p><p>Ranmaru grunts in agreement. </p><p>They stay in their human forms until they’re lying down, and then Tokiya is actually the last to change into his own animal form. It was a good thing their bed was sturdy. </p><p>Ren and Ranmaru curl up, Tokiya in between them. Between the fur and the three of them, it was warm. Tokiya’s head is lying on Ren’s side, his back pressed against Ranmaru. </p><p>Ranmaru makes a deep, grumbling noise when Tokiya’s tail gives a weak thump against his side, but his oversized paw moves over Tokiya. </p><p>It was going to take time, Tokiya was sure, before he’d get used to his injuries. Until he’d feel safe. </p><p>They would have to move. They would always need to watch themselves, and each other. </p><p>But Tokiya hadn’t actually expected them to get out at all. </p><p>It wasn’t a <i>happy</i> ending, but they had all made it out. With that thought, Tokiya manages to fall asleep.</p>
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